Accidental Target

by Theresa Hall

  Jackson searched the guest bedrooms while his father searched the rest of the house. After looking in closets, under beds and behind every curtain, they were both satisfied no one was inside.

  His dad met him back in the hallway. “Any signs of someone in here?”

  “No. I’ll stay up tonight in case they come back.”

  His dad nodded. “How do you think they’re finding you?”

  “I don’t know, Dad. I made a mistake coming here. We need to leave.”

  “They can’t get in here without us knowing it. This alarm system is state-of-the-art. And we’ll shoot them if they do.”

  “I don’t know how they’re finding us. No one knew we were coming here. Not even Devon.”

  “Turn your phone off.”

  Jackson pulled his phone from his pocket. How could he have been so careless? He turned it off and shoved it into his pocket. “I hardly get a signal out here, so I didn’t think someone could track my phone.”

  “Maybe not, but you need to be careful. Stay here tonight. I’ll stay up with you. It’s not safe for you to leave with her right now. The cover of darkness only gives them the advantage.”

  “After dinner I want you and Mom to leave. You’ll have to tell her everything.”

  His dad didn’t argue. “Let’s go eat the dinner your mother cooked, and then I’ll tell her what is going on. She won’t be happy. Although, she’s been admiring that new luxury hotel they built in Austin, so maybe I’ll take her there to get her mind off of it. But before I go, I have something that will help you.”

  They all went into the kitchen and sat down to dinner. The conversation was strained, but his mom did the best she could to make everyone feel comfortable. Jackson cleared the table off for her and Allison helped her wash the dishes. When the last plate was put away, he said her name.

  “Allison, I can show you to your room if you’d like to get some sleep.”

  The wide-eyed look on her face said she wasn’t about to close her eyes after the scare they’d had. “Oh, sure.”

  “Good night, dear. Sleep well.” Lynda hugged Allison, then began to fill Sugar’s food and water bowls as she scolded the oversize animal for getting out.

  Allison followed him down the long hallway to the guest room. Once inside, Jackson shut the door and turned to face her.

  “That dog didn’t get out on her own, did she?” Allison whispered.

  “No.”

  She began to pace the room. “What are we going to do?”

  Jackson reached out to snag her arm. “Hey, stop for a second. I have a plan. Sit down.” He sat on the bed and patted a space next to him.

  Allison sat down facing him. “What is it?”

  He handed her a small device he’d gotten from his dad.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s a GPS tracker. Dad had it on my mom’s car. It’s small enough for you to hide in your pocket. Keep it on you at all times.”

  “I don’t understand. Do you think they’ll find me here?”

  “Yes.” He hated to admit the truth to her, but he was pretty sure they already had.

  “And this is all you’re doing about it? Giving me something to carry so you’ll be able to find my dead body?”

  “Allison, it was Dad’s idea. And I thought it was a good one. We know who we’re dealing with. These people are relentless. They always know where to find you. I need to know where to find you, too.”

  He looked into her worried eyes. Seeing her talking with his parents over coffee and lunch had changed something inside of him. The wall around his heart was crumbling like a cookie. This woman had entered his life and turned it upside down. She put his life in danger, and now his parents’ lives, too. And yet he felt more alive being with her than he had in five years.

  She shifted on the bed. “Jackson, why are you staring at me?”

  “What happened with your ex-fiancé?”

  Shock registered on her face.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to ask me about that.”

  “What happened?”

  “I don’t like talking about it, but I’m going to make an exception for you.” She stood from the bed and paced in front of him.

  “He cheated on me. When I found out, I confronted him. He said a lot of mean things that crushed me. He tried to make me feel as if I had caused it in some way. All the blame was shifted to me. I think he wanted to be the one to break up first so it didn’t hurt his ego. He was very controlling like that”

  Heat crept up Jackson’s neck. He’d never understand how some men viewed women as their property.

  “He did you a favor, actually. You don’t deserve to be treated that way. No woman does.”

  “I know that now. It was just a bad time in my life.”

  She stopped pacing. “Until this happened. This is by far the worst thing I’ve ever been through.”

  “I know. I have an idea about what’s going on, but I don’t have anyone sharing information with me now that Devon has been shot. I’m on administrative leave, so I’m not calling the station right now.”

  A gasp filled the room.

  “Devon was shot?”

  He realized he hadn’t told her about Devon.

  She sat on the bed next to him. Tears filled her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me? Is he going to be all right?” She hid her face with her hands. “It’s all my fault.”

  Jackson wrapped his arms around her body, covering her as if shielding her from the world.

  “No, it’s not your fault. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way. He’s critical, but his wife said he’s doing better.”

  “I’ll be praying for him.” She looked up and sniffed.

  Jackson didn’t reply, but he was glad she was praying for Devon. Since Hope and Natalie’s death, he found it hard to pray. God didn’t seem to hear his prayers, but maybe He would hear Allison’s.

  “What now?” She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

  “You get some sleep.”

  Jackson kissed her forehead. He got up and walked to the door. He took in the sight of her sitting on the bed. Her brown eyes, her mouth, her soft hair. She was beautiful inside and out, and he couldn’t get enough of looking at her.

  He wanted to promise her that no one would ever hurt her again. But after hearing what she’d been through, he couldn’t do it. He’d already let her down more than once.

  Fear weighed on him like a cold, wet blanket. He hadn’t been able to save his own family, but that had been out of his control. This wasn’t. He was going to save her.

  He stopped in the doorway and turned back to face her. His heart longed to beg God for His protection, but the memories of his family stopped him.

  Instead, he shut the door and walked away.

  * * *

  The soft bed cradled her aching body as she lay staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes to pray, and after she said “Amen,” she lay awake thinking about Jackson. He’d changed so much since she’d first met him on that cold, dark highway. It had been only a few days, yet somehow she felt like she’d known him for years. No one had ever made her feel as safe as Jackson Archer made her feel. She trusted him with her life, but trusting him with her heart was another matter.

  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t deny the attraction to him. But she also couldn’t deny that he might always compare her to his late wife. Hope was perfect in every way. Beautiful, wealthy, successful. A good mother. They were complete opposites. On the surface it seemed like the past five years hadn’t been enough time for him to grieve, and yet here he was kissing her. How could she trust his feelings?

  It was too much to think about tonight. She needed to get some rest. If the past few days had taught her anything, it was that rest shouldn’t be taken for granted. Wind
chimes outside her window played a soft tune that lulled her to sleep.

  Minutes after drifting off, Allison’s eyes flew open. Something had jarred her from the dream she was having. She lay still, expecting a noise, hoping it was Sugar, or something more benign.

  Allison’s heart pounded in her chest as she sucked in deep breaths to calm its pace. She sat up in bed to calm herself down. Just as she felt relaxed enough to lie back down, the glow of the alarm clock went out, putting the room in complete darkness. She bolted upright. The power must’ve gone out.

  Fear froze her to the bed. She hoped Jackson would rush in any minute to tell her to go back to sleep and relax. That it was nothing to worry about. What she wouldn’t give to have his arms around her, protecting her. The bedroom door creaked open. Allison let out a long sigh of relief.

  “What happened to the power?”

  The dark figure entered the room but didn’t respond.

  “Jackson? What happened?”

  Silence.

  A hand wrapped around her face. She fought to pry the strong fingers from her mouth, but the attacker only tightened his grip.

  “Don’t fight it.” A raspy male voice whispered in her ear.

  She jerked to get away. Pain seared her head. What determination she had left disintegrated along with her consciousness.

  * * *

  Jackson’s parents had left after Allison was settled into her room. They’d been gone only an hour, but he longed to call and check on them. Even though they weren’t the ones the cartel was after, he still wanted to know they were safe. He could imagine the grief his mom was going through now that she knew the truth. He’d never meant to drag them into this. The next time he visited, he’d make sure it was on much better terms.

  Jackson settled into his father’s recliner. The clicking of the mantel clock attempted to lull him into a false sense of security. There was something about being in his parents’ home that gave him a warm fuzzy feeling. But he wasn’t a kid, and tonight had given him anything but the warm fuzzies.

  Jackson fought to keep his eyes and ears open. He wanted nothing more than to prop up the foot of his dad’s old chair and lay back for a long night’s sleep. Instead, he shifted and sat up straighter as he strained his ears to hear past the tick-tock of the clock. He’d promised her that nothing would happen tonight. This time, he intended on keeping his word.

  A loud beep broke through the quietness of the house, followed by an alert signaling that the security system was without power. He bolted from the chair and grabbed a flashlight from the coffee table drawer. Holding it with one hand and his gun in the other, he scanned the room to see if anyone was there.

  Emotions took over and he raced toward the hallway. He noticed the bedroom door ajar.

  “Allison, are you okay?”

  When there wasn’t an answer, he pushed the door with his boot. Something blocked it from opening farther. Jackson pushed it again, this time with more force.

  Someone shoved it back. The flashlight fell to the floor and flickered out.

  “Come out!”

  A dark figure lunged from the bedroom. Jackson swung and missed, causing him to stagger. His first instinct was to shoot, but he didn’t know where Allison was in the dark. He swung again. This time his fist contacted something solid and muscular. A large man. Pain seared his head, knocking him off his balance. Jackson grabbed for the wall.

  “Allison, where are you?”

  There was no reply. Something sharp pricked his hand. Jackson swung again but missed contact with anything solid. A fist landed on his jaw. He stumbled backward into the hallway. Somehow, the man hitting him seemed to have a greater advantage in the dark. Jackson strained to see into Allison’s room. He thought he saw a large figure heading toward him. As it neared, he knew it wasn’t her.

  He lifted his gun and fired. The recoil sent his arms jerking into the air. Something hard and firm hit his head. The muscles in his arms felt leaden, and his legs buckled under his own weight. The blow rendered him dazed and weak.

  Jackson braced himself against the door frame. He tried to call out her name, but something hit him again. This time from behind. Jackson sank to the floor. He fought waves of pain until the last thought he had was of finding whoever did this. Someone had to get to Allison. Jackson instinctively grabbed at his shoulder for his radio, then remembered he didn’t have his equipment.

  Defeat settled over him. He lay still, hoping the pain in his head would subside. “God, you don’t have to save me unless I can save Allison. Please don’t let her die.”

  If he was going to save her, he had to get off the floor. Mustering what little strength he had, he pulled himself up and waves of nausea forced him back down.

  FIFTEEN

  Musty air entered her lungs. Where was she? Darkness surrounded her.

  Was she still at his parents’ house? She couldn’t hear Jackson’s voice. Was he in the room?

  Male voices sounded as if they were miles away. Her stomach twisted and lurched like a roller coaster. Her brain searched for answers. Why was everything so hazy? She blinked her eyes trying to focus, but the room was dark. She remembered about the power. It had gone out right before...she strained to remember what happened next.

  “Jackson,” she whispered. Her lips were dry, and her throat felt parched. She needed some water. Why wouldn’t he answer?

  Pain radiated through her leg. She couldn’t tell if she’d been hit or kicked.

  “Shut up!”

  Fear squeezed her chest and robbed her of breath. It wasn’t Jackson’s voice she’d heard. The back of her head ached along with her leg.

  “Where am I?” The smell of dirt filled her senses.

  Pain shot through her leg again. Her eyes watered and she cried out.

  “I said shut up!”

  Everything in her wanted to scream, but she didn’t dare make a sound.

  She remembered now. The power had gone out. Fear filled her chest.

  How could he have let this happen? “Jackson wouldn’t let them take me,” she whispered. Vertigo gripped her as she argued with herself.

  It could mean only one thing. Something bad must have happened to him. If Jackson couldn’t get to her, she would have to find a way to save herself.

  Hair fell across her eyes, blocking her vision. She lifted her arm to wipe it away, then felt the back of her head. It was wet and sticky. They’d hit her with something.

  Defeated, she relaxed her body.

  A cell phone rang out. Allison jerked as the noise awakened her nerves.

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  That accent. She’d heard it before.

  “Naw, we ain’t doing that. We don’t take orders from you. Besides, I ain’t killin’ her. I already told you that I need my job at the tire shop.”

  Well, if he wasn’t going to kill her, then she’d take her chances on getting away.

  * * *

  The blows to his head still had him a little shaky. He managed to stand and took a few small steps to give his legs a try before setting off to find her. He picked up the flashlight and went into the bedroom to see if they’d left anything behind that might help.

  His heart sank to think they’d taken her again. If she was dead, they would have left her here. Now wasn’t the time to think about it. His mind felt hazy and he knew he needed to be coherent enough to drive. Jackson headed out to the front yard and pulled out his cell phone. He opened the app that tracked the GPS device he’d given her.

  Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at an abandoned, half-burnt farmhouse. Behind it stood a dilapidated barn. The roof sagged and bowed like a rotten tree. He turned onto a nearby gravel road and parked. Under the cover of darkness, he crept toward the old barn. His head still ached. As he got closer, he noticed a Stonewater police car parked in front of the barn. He eased around the
side of the barn and slid against the back wall. Light shone through the old boards. Jackson closed one eye and watched through the wide crack. Dim camping lanterns created enough illumination for him to see what was going on.

  Jackson moved down the wall a few inches to look through another wide gap.

  There she was.

  Allison was lying on a straw-covered floor in the sweats he’d bought her. They were covered in dirt, but he didn’t notice any blood on them. She had to be terrified. He wished he could signal to her so she would know he was there.

  She must be furious with him. Not that he could blame her. It wasn’t easy admitting that he’d let her slip away from him. Not once, but twice. Whoever they were dealing with, these guys weren’t amateurs. But it wasn’t by accident that they hadn’t killed him back at the house. Whoever was doing this didn’t want him dead; they only wanted Allison. That thought sent chills through him. The urge to pray for her overwhelmed him. Praying wasn’t something he was good at anymore, but he had to pray for her.

  God, forgive me for the years I’ve neglected to talk to You. I just need You to help me save Allison. I can’t let her die. Give me the wisdom and courage to get her out of there. Amen.

  A sense of peace washed over him. It had been a long time since he’d prayed. He could only hope God would hear his prayers this time.

  A man’s voice sounded from the corner of the barn. Jackson stilled his breathing, hoping to hear what he was saying, and closed his eyes for a few seconds to refocus his vision in the darkness. The voice sounded very familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it before. He opened his eyes and stared through the hole. The man donned a cowboy hat and appeared to be talking on a cell phone. Jackson wished he could hear the conversation, but the man hung up after a few seconds.

  Allison shifted her body on the floor. A different man emerged from the shadows. This one was shorter and more muscular than the guy on the phone. Tattoos covered the left side of his face, making it obvious he had gang affiliations. Although this wasn’t the man from the highway, he seemed just as dangerous.